Vacuum cleaner



P -v G. E. LOFGREN 2,254,61

VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 6, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 2, 1941. e. E. LOFGREN 2,254,611

VACUUM CLEANER Filed April 6. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 2, 1941 VACUUM CLEANER Gustaf Einar Lofgren, Riverside, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application April 6, 1938, Serial No. 200,363

4 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the socalled inside bag type. I

An object of my invention is to provide an improved cover for securing a removable dust separator in a vacuum cleaner casing and for obtaining access to the interior of the casing.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cover with an inlet opening for a vacuum cleaner casing sealed against air leakage and serving to insulate a conduit connected to the cleaner'irom the vacuum cleaner casing.

What I consider to 'be novel and my invention may be better understood by reference to the following specification and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a side view of a vacuum cleaner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the cover -in a portion of the vacuum cleaner unit;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed view of a portion of the cover and flexible hose connector;

Fig. 4 is a front view of a portion of the cover; and

Fig. 5 is a rear view of a portion of the cover.

Referring to the drawings, l indicates a vacuum cleaner unit of the inside bag type which is adapted to be connected to a cleaning tool H by means of a flexible hose l2 and a substantially rigid tubular member I3. Flexible hose I2 is connected to the vacuum cleaner unit In by means of a coupler I4 which may be connected in an inlet opening l provided in a removable front end cover IS. A motor fan unit ll produces a flow of air from the front end of casing l8 of the cleaner unit 10, shown at the left in Fig. 1, to the rear, shown at the right. The suction produced in the cleaner unit III is transmitted to the cleaning tool II by the flexible hose l2 and tube l3. A dust bag l9 located in casing l8 separates the dust from air drawn in through cleaning tool The dust bag I!) may be emptied by first removing the cover I6. Any leak between the cover l6 and the casing l8, or between the hose l2, coupler l4, and the inlet opening l5 will reduce the cleaning efliciency of the cleaning tool Front end cover l6 consists of a casting 20 and a cover plate 2|. When the cover I6 is secured to the casing l8, plate 2| engages a flexible gasket 22 surrounding a dust bag ring 23 secured to dust bag I9. The dust bag ring 23 and gasket 22 rest upon an inwardly extending flange 24 formed integrally with a ring 25 secured around the open end of easing Ill. The gasket 22 carried by the dust bag ring 23 seals the opening of casing l8 between the plate 2| and the ring 25. A tube 26 of a non-metallic material is located in an inlet opening l5 and is secured directly to casting 20 by means of screws 21. Plate 2| is provided with an opening 28 which registers with tube 26. To provide an airtight seal between the tube 26 and plate 2|, a flexible ring gasket 29 is provided extending over the end of tube 26. As best indicated in Fig. 5, the plate 2| is secured directly to the tube 26 by means of screws 30 and compresses the gasket 29. A metallic sleeve 3| is secured within tube 26 by inner end 32 which is spun over a shoulder 33. The outer end of sleeve 3| is turned in to form an inwardly extending flange 34.

When the vacuum cleaner unit 10 is used as a suction cleaner, the flow of air through the inlet opening I5 is in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 2 and 3. The leakage of air between the cover l6 and the casing I8 is prevented by the dust bag ring gasket 22 located between the plate 2| and the ring 25. The leakage of air between the inlet opening. I5 and the cover I6 is prevented by the gasket 29 located be-' tween the plate 2| and the tube 26. The plate 2| performs the dual function of sealing both the dust bag opening to casing l8 and the inlet opening l5 by the seals between the plate 2| and the ring 25 and between the plate 2| and the tube 26.

When the flexible hose I2 is connected to the inlet opening l5, catches 35 carried by coupler l4 engage the inturned'flange 34 of sleeve 3|. The catches 35 are held in engagement with the flange 34 of sleeve 3| by means of a ring shaped spring 36.

finger grips 31. The inner end of the coupler I4 is stopped against a shoulder 38 provided in the inner end of sleeve 3|. As shown in Fig. 3, the flexible hose I2 is formed of non-metallic material and reenforced by a helically wound wire 33. If such a hose became worn an electrical circuit may be completed by the reenforcing wire 39 from the cleaning tool through the metallic tube I3 and flexible hose |2 to the metallic sleeve 3| to which the coupler I4 is connected. However, any possibility of an electrical connection between the coupler I4 and the casing l8 of the vacuum cleaner I0 is prevented by the use of tube 26 --formed of non-metallic material. This provides a protection against electrical shock which might result from a ground between the The catches 35 may be released by' motor fan unit I! and the vacuum cleaner casing II.

In the operation of the vacuum cleaner l0. motor Ian unit I! causes a flow 01' air in through the cleaner tool ll, hose l2, into casing l8. Occasionally, it may be found desirable to connect the base to the blower side of the vacuum cleaner unit It. For such a purpose the hose I2 may be disconnected from the inlet opening l5 simply by depressing the finger grips 21 connected to the catches 35. As the vacuum cleaner It is used for cleaning purposes, dust collects in the dust bag l9 and it is necessary to occasionally empty it. This is done by first removing the cover It and then removing the dust bag 19. When the dust bag is re-inserted in the casing l8 and the cover I6 secured thereto, a seal between the inlet opening and the casing I8 is provided by the engagement of the plate 2| with the dust bag ring gasket 22 and by-the gasket 28 secured to the tube 26. This insures the maximum eiflciency of the cleaning tool II when connected to the inlet opening I5.

What I claim is:

1, An insulating coupling for connecting an air hose in an opening of 'a vacuum cleaner including a tube of non-metallic material secured in the opening of the vacuum cleaner, a sleeve of metallic material secured within said tube and hav ng an inturned flange, and a hose coupler inserted into the sleeve with latches engaging the inturned flange of said sleeve to connect said hose within said tube.

2. An insulating coupling for connecting an air hose in an opening of a vacuum cleaner including a tube of non-metallic material secured in the opening of the vacuum cleaner, a sleeve of metallic material spun over a shoulder within said tube and having an inturned flange, and a hose coupler inserted in the sleeve with latches engaging the inturned flange of said sleeve to connect said hose within said tube.

8. An insulating coupling for connecting an air hose in an opening of a vacuum cleaner including a tube of non-metallic material secured in the opening of the vacuum cleaner, a sleeve secured within said tube having a shoulder at its inner end and an inturned flange at its outer end, and a hose coupler insertable in said tube being stopped by engagement with said shoulder and locked by engagement with said flange.

4. An insulating coupling for connecting an air hose in an opening of a vacuum cleaner including a tube of non-metallic material secured in the opening of the vacuum cleaner having an inwardly extending shoulder, asleeve of metallic material nesting within said tube and spun over said shoulder at its inner end, a flange turned in at the outer end of said sleeve, a coupler abutting said shoulder, and catches carried by said coupler detachably engaging said flange.

GUSTAF EINAR LOFGREN. 

